sfbp

nyah, nyah spent a day and half messing with what I thought was a dead CMT-HPZ9 (aka HPX7) in the hope it would enlighten me. But was a boondoggle as we say: 1. The HPZ9 is still not working (though sort of better!?) after replacement of 3 drive belts (the k7 section definitely works now - took me 5 minutes to get rid of the puddle of carbon from one belt piece from the kitchen floor, sigh. 2. The CD head section (that goes up and down in the stocker) is different (though I do have a spare new one that works in PX3, D5C and PX7) 3. Exactly the same fault as before. I note that about half the ones for sale are 'repair only or parts" reporting the same fault. 4. I can only work on it at midnight (since we are close to longest day) because in the daytime I really cannot see th display which I suppose is OLED - but I don't know much and haven't checked. The PX7 is not making funny grinding noises since I replaced all known belts on the 3CD in the satellite unit. The console on the main unit doesn't open, so I suspect there's a belt there that needs attacking next. However still not much action on the MD stocker. Time to get serious about the master methinks. This unit is the B*hkm*t of MD repair. Thanks for asking, though

Really restores one's faith in the rightness of things when what seems like a logical step turns out to be correct. May even be the same thing for my px7 😉

Very interesting! but sooo stupeeed....... There's an explanation for why they both failed around the same time. Aging rubber band again for the drawer open/close. All fixed.

Well, I've now taken delivery of my Dad's PX3/DHC595 and fixed the (infamous) loading belt for the MD drive. There's a completely unexpected (and new to me) fault, however. When I try to put a CD in, it goes through the motions, and then ejects the CD. Interestingly, if I press --> (play) for the CD when the drive is open, even if there is NO CD at all, the unit closes the door and then ejects. Whoa! My existing PX3 is doing the same. With a commercial (ie not CD-R) disk in each case. What the heck is going on? Did Cinderella's coach turn into a pumpkin on a certain date? I know I had the existing one working (there was a CD in it), and I recall that inserting that exact same CD (one of my dad's) in the DHC595 when I was over at my sister's 18 months ago. Stephen

(off-topic) I'm chiming in here because I am singing in a performance of Tubular Bells next week! I don't suppose anyone reading this is in a position to go but you are welcome to message me and I can provide a link. Kind regards Stephen

Maybe you need one of these: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225490790519 Kind regards Stephen

Yeah but it's inside the digital stage of one of the best AD/DA's on the planet.

So, turn the REC LEVEL knob up to +8.0dB and you're done? There's a reason that (for example the BBC) stations never output 0dB. I think it has to do with headroom. Better to be a bit under than distort? For a long time CDs were mastered well under the 0dB limit, and then along came unscrupulous music producers who got more money by everything being loud loud loud (and clipped). I'm happy with lower levels, and given that my 930 MD has a nice gain knob I've never had a problem.

Hang on.... -8dB is hardly very low volume. I just got through processing some recordings made by someone else where I had to amplify them by x16 = 24dB. Now THAT's low. The MD should have a gain setting, usually up to +12dB although on the 930 it might even be +18dB. Stephen

I always wondered what those two pins were for. The MZ-NHF800 has them, also, for the special inline radio that comes with it (I never got mine to work for more than a few days) and I have no idea if the pins do the same in both. Circuit diagram experts, can you enlighten us?

I've had a screw loose for as long as I can remember. And so do most of my friends.

If the SPDIF is not the global sink for sound output you may not have a problem. I would suggest sending that to normal speakers/headphones/whatever but use VLC (or some other player) to play to the SPDIF output.

Tomorrow

I have not one but 2 noisy N910s. You never know, you might get one of them if this works. Pay it forward and all that! Most likely gonna need your help with the px7 though 🙂

Most likely that's the problem. I sent a notebook to England last week and it cost $25. Thanks for the offer, though, and it's not (in my case) urgent. Unless the px7 needs it (;

Thinking about it, the item's location in Grantham is rather piquant...... especially when you consider it was Maggie who got the UK the best deal anyone ever had for joining the EU.

Odd....

Kevin, wouldthis work? I cannot find any quantity of EM-30L that doesn't require a $50 outlay (at least) https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B000HBNV58

Not much help here; but most of my experiences when a deck came up "dead" were resolved by double-checking the ribbon cables inside the box. I think this needs more expert electronic advice than I am qualified to give. Stephen

I thought I'd add to this: the wide range of automobile head units also plays ATRAC (and ATRAC 3+), at least a dozen models. I use the MEX-BT5000 (with Bluetooth support). They don't show up in the Minidisc Equipment Browser because there's no MD - however you can add an MD changer via the Sony Unilink device cable that most units have at the back thereby having your cake and eating it. My pet bugbear is that none of the third party softwares support ATRAC/+ CDs. Only SonicStage. Another example of a wonderful technology Sony was frightened to use because of the piracy implications if it was too easy to copy disks.

(I heard that) One thing I noticed was he was using XP. Has anyone tried x86 (32-bit) Windows 10? The only versions I have had running are hosted (VirtualPC) XP. I did the 32-bit experiment a while back with mixed results (the machine was so slow that I really don't know if the problems were because of that. IIRC it does work, but I absolutely won't swear to it. I don't have a dedicated Windows-32 to try it on. The functionality chart shown in the Video confirms what I have always thought - the MDS-PC3 is rather a special little device. Mind you I am looking forward to getting my hands on the PX7. Maybe you (Kevin) should try the approach he uses at the start of the movie, playing around with WAV files he's loaded into M-Crew's library.

I'm pretty sure these are standard connectors and the wires just go straight through. Crossing my fingers that it's there anyway. In the unlikely event Encompass has it, the cost will be 2-3 times what I paid for the entire kit and caboodle, so self-manufacture seems the way to go

L and R - are those the direction of "increase" when turned?